Key Takeaways
- Pennsylvania allows incoming LLC domestication directly (15 Pa.C.S. §8982) — your LLC keeps its original formation date
- Filing fee: $195 total, made up of two components: $70 for the Statement of Domestication plus $125 for the Certificate of Organization
- No new EIN is needed. Domestication under 15 Pa.C.S. §8982 continues the same legal entity rather than creating a new one — the IRS treats your EIN as unchanged. Update your address on file with the IRS via Form 8822-B once your Pennsylvania registered office is set.
- No. Pennsylvania's own statute doesn't require proof of formal withdrawal from your old state as a condition of domestication; that remains a separate step you handle under the old state's own law once Pennsylvania confirms the domestication.
- Same-day LLC domestication filing available through LLC Attorney, at no markup on state fees
If your LLC is formed in another state but you've relocated (or your business has) and want Pennsylvania to be its new legal home, domestication lets you make that move without dissolving the company and starting over.
This guide covers exactly how to domesticate an LLC into Pennsylvania in 2026 — the two-part $195 filing, Pennsylvania's registered office requirement (not a "registered agent"), and what happens to your EIN and formation date.
What Is LLC Domestication?
Domestication (sometimes called continuance or statutory conversion) lets you move your LLC from one state to Pennsylvania without dissolving it and starting over. Done correctly, the LLC keeps its original formation date, its EIN, and its contracts — only its home state changes.
Can You Domesticate an LLC Into Pennsylvania?
Yes. Pennsylvania's LLC Act includes a statutory domestication provision (15 Pa.C.S. §8982), so an out-of-state LLC can become a Pennsylvania LLC directly while retaining its original formation date.
How to Domesticate Your LLC in Pennsylvania
- Filing agency: Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations
- Form: Statement of Domestication (DSCB:15-375), filed together with a Certificate of Organization (DSCB:15-375)
- Filing fee: $195 total, made up of two components: $70 for the Statement of Domestication plus $125 for the Certificate of Organization
- Processing time: About 1-3 weeks for routine processing
- Expedited option: Same-day and 3-hour expedited service available for an additional fee on top of the $195 standard total
- Certificate of Good Standing: Required from your current state, dated within 60 days of filing.
- Plan of domestication: Pennsylvania does not require a separate formal plan document beyond the standard filing.
- Member approval: Follow your operating agreement's own approval threshold for a domestication or fundamental change if it addresses one; where it's silent, plan for unanimous member approval, since 15 Pa.C.S. Chapter 89 treats domestication as significant enough to warrant that level of member buy-in absent contrary agreement language.
What Happens to Your EIN, Contracts, and Formation Date?
Domesticating to Pennsylvania preserves your LLC's original formation date — the entity continues, it doesn't restart.
No new EIN is needed. Domestication under 15 Pa.C.S. §8982 continues the same legal entity rather than creating a new one — the IRS treats your EIN as unchanged. Update your address on file with the IRS via Form 8822-B once your Pennsylvania registered office is set.
All existing contracts, bank accounts, licenses, and pending liabilities carry over automatically — Pennsylvania's domestication statute treats the Pennsylvania LLC as the same entity that existed under its prior state's law, not a new one stepping into its shoes.
Do I Need to Close My LLC in My Old State?
No. Pennsylvania's own statute doesn't require proof of formal withdrawal from your old state as a condition of domestication; that remains a separate step you handle under the old state's own law once Pennsylvania confirms the domestication.
If your business keeps operating in the old state after moving its legal home to Pennsylvania — an office, employees, or regular in-state activity — you'll likely need to foreign-qualify in that state instead of maintaining it as your domestic entity. Check the old state's foreign-qualification requirements once the move is final.
When Do Pennsylvania's Taxes and Filings Start?
Pennsylvania's tax and compliance obligations begin as soon as the domestication is filed and effective. Pennsylvania LLCs file an Annual Report (a newer requirement effective 2025) with the Department of State, plus become subject to Pennsylvania personal income tax withholding/pass-through obligations from that date forward.
You'll typically owe a final-year return to your old state covering the period before the domestication took effect, prorated to the conversion date — confirm the exact filing requirement with that state's tax agency, since this varies based on where your prior state was.
Pennsylvania's equivalent of a Certificate of Good Standing is called a "Subsistence Certificate" — if you request the wrong-named document from your prior state or from Pennsylvania's own records, expect delays. Make sure whoever pulls this document for you knows Pennsylvania's specific terminology.
How to Move Your LLC to Pennsylvania Step by Step
If You Do It Yourself
Step 1 — Confirm your LLC is in good standing in its current state.
Pennsylvania will require a Certificate of Good Standing from your current state, so resolve any lapsed filings there first.
Step 2 — Get member approval for the move.
Follow your operating agreement's own approval threshold for a domestication or fundamental change if it addresses one; where it's silent, plan for unanimous member approval, since 15 Pa.C.S. Chapter 89 treats domestication as significant enough to warrant that level of member buy-in absent contrary agreement language.
Step 3 — File the domestication paperwork.
File with Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations using the Statement of Domestication (DSCB:15-375), filed together with a Certificate of Organization, $195 total, made up of two components: $70 for the Statement of Domestication plus $125 for the Certificate of Organization.
Step 4 — Confirm your EIN and contracts carry over.
No new EIN is needed. Domestication under 15 Pa.C.S. §8982 continues the same legal entity rather than creating a new one — the IRS treats your EIN as unchanged. Update your address on file with the IRS via Form 8822-B once your Pennsylvania registered office is set. All existing contracts, bank accounts, licenses, and pending liabilities carry over automatically — Pennsylvania's domestication statute treats the Pennsylvania LLC as the same entity that existed under its prior state's law, not a new one stepping into its shoes.
Step 5 — Appoint a registered agent in your new state.
Pennsylvania calls this role a "Registered Office (Pennsylvania does not use the term "registered agent"; a physical registered office address is required, satisfiable by hiring a Commercial Registered Office Provider, or CROP, in place of a company-owned address)" — required before or as part of the domestication filing.
Step 6 — Handle your old state's final obligations.
No. Pennsylvania's own statute doesn't require proof of formal withdrawal from your old state as a condition of domestication; that remains a separate step you handle under the old state's own law once Pennsylvania confirms the domestication. You'll typically owe a final-year return to your old state covering the period before the domestication took effect, prorated to the conversion date — confirm the exact filing requirement with that state's tax agency, since this varies based on where your prior state was.
Step 7 — Update your tax and compliance calendar.
Pennsylvania's tax and compliance obligations begin as soon as the domestication is filed and effective. Pennsylvania LLCs file an Annual Report (a newer requirement effective 2025) with the Department of State, plus become subject to Pennsylvania personal income tax withholding/pass-through obligations from that date forward.
Step 8 — Watch for Pennsylvania-specific domestication traps.
Pennsylvania is one of the few states in this batch that actually uses the word "domestication" in its statute, but it has two quirks worth knowing. First, its $195 fee is bifurcated into two separate sub-fees ($70 + $125) rather than one flat number — make sure whoever files for you accounts for both. Second, Pennsylvania doesn't use "registered agent" at all; it requires a "registered office," a physical address, which most out-of-state LLCs satisfy by contracting with a Commercial Registered Office Provider (CROP) rather than maintaining their own Pennsylvania office.
If LLC Attorney Does It for You
- Submit your LLC's current-state details at llcattorney.com — name, formation date, and member information.
- LLC Attorney handles the domestication filing, obtains your Certificate of Good Standing, and serves as your registered office (pennsylvania does not use the term "registered agent"; a physical registered office address is required, satisfiable by hiring a commercial registered office provider, or crop, in place of a company-owned address) in Pennsylvania once the move is complete.
- Receive confirmation of your completed move, plus access to flat-fee attorney consultations (no retainer) for any old-state wind-down questions.
When Should You Talk to an Attorney About Moving Your LLC to Pennsylvania?
Talk to an attorney before domesticating your LLC to Pennsylvania if your operating agreement doesn't clearly address domestication approval and you have multiple members, if your business will continue operating in your old state and you need to sort out foreign-qualification timing, or if you're unsure whether a Commercial Registered Office Provider or a physical Pennsylvania address better fits your situation.
What You Actually Get With LLC Attorney's Pennsylvania Domestication Service
The part of Pennsylvania LLC domestication that trips people up isn't the domestication statute itself — it's remembering the fee is split into two components and that Pennsylvania requires a registered office, not a registered agent. LLC Attorney handles both correctly from the start, including CROP service if you don't have a Pennsylvania address of your own.
- LLC domestication to Pennsylvania, starting at $249.
- Certificate of Good Standing retrieval, filing prep, and registered agent service all handled in one order.
- Old-state withdrawal and final-tax-obligation guidance specific to your prior state — not a generic multi-state template.
- Access to professionally trained Business Success Advisors at no charge, plus flat-fee attorney consultations (no retainer) for move-specific questions.
Moving your LLC's legal home to Pennsylvania is straightforward once both fee components are covered and your registered office is in place — LLC Attorney makes sure nothing gets missed on either end of the move.
Ready to Move Your LLC to Pennsylvania?
LLC Attorney handles the domestication filing for LLCs moving to Pennsylvania, starting at $249. See our full pricing for all service tiers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Pennsylvania's LLC statute (15 Pa.C.S. Chapter 89, §8982, "Domestication") is one of the few in this batch that literally uses the term "domestication," letting an out-of-state LLC become a Pennsylvania LLC directly while retaining its original formation date.
Yes. Domesticating to Pennsylvania preserves your LLC's original formation date, EIN, and contracts — only the home state changes, since Pennsylvania's domestication statute treats it as a continuation of the same entity rather than a new one.
$195 total — $70 for the Statement of Domestication plus $125 for the Certificate of Organization, filed together. Same-day or 3-hour expedited service is available for an added fee.
No. Your EIN stays the same — domestication continues the same legal entity rather than creating a new one. Update your address with the IRS via Form 8822-B once your Pennsylvania registered office is set.
Pennsylvania doesn't require proof of withdrawal from your old state as part of its own filing. Whether you need to close anything out there depends on that state's own law once Pennsylvania's domestication is confirmed.
Pennsylvania's obligations begin as soon as the domestication is effective, including the Department of State's Annual Report and Pennsylvania personal income tax withholding/pass-through obligations going forward.
Follow your operating agreement's approval threshold for a domestication if it has one; where it's silent, plan for unanimous member approval, since Pennsylvania treats domestication as a fundamental change to the company.
About 1-3 weeks for routine processing, with same-day or 3-hour expedited options available for an added fee. The Certificate of Good Standing (called a "Subsistence Certificate" in Pennsylvania) from your old state is often the slower step in practice — request it early.
Yes. LLC Attorney handles the domestication filing for LLCs moving to Pennsylvania, starting at $249.